Yet Another Cars Story
by NikChik-11
Summary: [HUMANISED] Lightning's lil brother, sister, and mother come for a visit... That's all I'm giving, because I don't wanna ruin it. :p
1. Meet The McQueens

Lightning awoke to the sounds of birds chirping outside his bedroom window. Confused as to why Sarge and Fillmore hadn't had their usual morning outburst, he got up and started getting dressed. He then walked over to the café, where the first thing he noticed was the, somehow, familiar red SUV parked outside.

_No, it can't be…_ He thought as he walked inside. He hadn't even taken two steps, when something hurtled at his legs.

"Cindy?" He asked, looking down at his little sister in surprise. He looked up to see the rest of his family sitting at a table talking to the residents. "Mom? Skyler? What are you guys doing here?"

His mother smiled. "We thought we might come and visit. You know, to see how you're doing. Sorry you're father couldn't come. I have no idea what that man's been up to, and I really don't care."

Lightning's parents had been divorced since he was sixteen, and only communicated through their children.

Lightning forced a smiled, walking over and sitting beside his fifteen year old brother. "Whoa… You've grown a lot."

Skyler smirked. "Way to point out the obvious,"

Lightning punched him playfully, watching as he scowled. Feeling something tug at his pants leg, he looked down to find his little sister at his feet.

"Whatcha doing, Cindy?" He asked.

"Playing." The six year old answered, bouncing a toy ball on the linoleum floor.

Lightning smiled, looking back up at the rest of his family. "I can't believe you guys are here! I guess I need to give you guys a tour of the place, right?"

"That'd be nice." His mother said, just as Sally walked in.

Lightning smiled even bigger, walking over to her. They walked back over to the table, Lightning's arm around her waist.

"Hey guys, this is Sally." He said, addressing his family. He turned to Sally. "And Sally, this is my family. My mom, little brother, and sister."

"Hi, welcome to Radiator Springs." Sally said, nodding politely at them. "It's nice to finally get to meet Sticker's family."

"Who's Stickers?" Skyler asked, snickering.

Lightning rolled his eyes. "It's me… That's what Sally calls me."

"Oh… So it's like a pet name?"

Lightning looked down embarrassedly, shuffling his foot on the ground. "Um, well, yeah… We're sort of… going out."

He glimpsed up a little, catching their surprised expressions.

"That's great!" His mother said, smiling between the two. "How'd you two meet?"

Lightning smiled sheepishly. "Uh… It's kind of a long story."

Sally smiled, reaching up and kissing him on the cheek. "I've got to go, Stickers." She turned to the others. "Just come over to the Cozy Cone anytime, and I'll give you a room on the house, ok?"

"Well, thanks. That's really nice of you." Ms. McQueen said.

She nodded, and left, just as Doc walked in and sat down.

"Hey, Doc, how's it going?" Lightning asked.

He looked up, as if just noticing the newcomers. "Uh, fine… Who's your friends?"

Lightning laughed. "You're not much of a morning person, are you? This is my mom, little brother, and sister."

"Oh, well nice to meet you." Doc replied, stifling a yawn. "And for your information, hotrod, I was up late last night with paperwork."

"Sure, Doc, sure…" Lightning said with a smirk, just as Mr. The King and a young girl walked into the café.

Skyler sat up when he saw the girl. "Whoa… Who's that?"

"That's The King's daughter, Lesley." Lightning replied, waving at them.

"I didn't know that The King was going to be here too." Ms. McQueen said, standing up. "I'm going to go talk to him. Be right back."

"Mom, please don't embarrass me." Lightning complained.

"When have I ever done that?" His mother asked, making the two boys crack up.

"Uh... all the time!" Skyler said.

Ms. McQueen rolled her eyes, then walked off towards The King.

Lightning turned back around, noticing the sudden far-off expression on his brother's face. He looked in the direction he was staring, and noticed Lesley sitting at a nearby table.

"You like her, don't you?"

"What?" Skyler asked, snapping his attention to Lightning. "W-Why would you say that?"

"You were staring at her."

He looked down, his face turning red. "No I wasn't."

"Ok, ok… Fine, you weren't staring at her." Lightning said, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Well, I wasn't…" Skyler muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.

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"Lightning, will you play with me? Pretty, pretty please?"

Lightning sighed, reaching down and picking up Cindy. It was already 8 o'clock, and after giving his mom a tour, showing them his racing headquarters, and catching up with his siblings, he was pretty exhausted.

"Hey," Someone said from behind him. He turned around to find Sally, who was smiling.

"You look tired." She said, as if reading his mind.

He nodded. "I am." He turned to Cindy, holding her a little tighter. "What do you wanna do now, Cinders?"

"I wanna play pretend!" She exclaimed, jumping out of his arms and running around the room.

"She's cute. Almost as cute as you." Sally said suddenly.

"Yeah…" Lightning replied quietly. "Wait, what do you mean by 'almost'?"

She laughed. "I'm sorry… You are the cutest." She put her arms around his shoulders, and stared into his eyes.

He laughed softly, a small smile creeping on his lips.

"Are you two in loooove?"

Lightning turned around to find the little six year old staring at them with interest.

He nodded. "Yep. Sure are." Sally nodded in agreement, slipping her arm around his waist.

"Ooooh… Like mommy and daddy?"

"Mmhmm."

"When are you getting married?"

Lightning's eyes suddenly got really big as he comprehended what she asked. "M-m-married?"

Cindy nodded. "Are you getting married soon?"

Lightning rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, letting out a nervous laugh. "W-well, I um, I don't think… We're not, uh…"

"We're not quite ready for that yet, Cindy." Sally finished for him.

Lightning nodded, swallowing hard. He saw Sally giggle out of the corner of his eye.

"Uh, how about we go get you into bed, Cindy?" He asked, picking her up again.

She frowned, shaking her head. "No! I wanna stay here with you guys and play some mores!" She yawned, trying to keep her eyes open.

Lightning shook his head, stifling a laugh. "You'll see everyone tomorrow. Besides, if you go to bed now, you'll wake up sooner."

She nodded slightly, rubbing her eyes.

Lightning looked back at Sally, smiling playfully. "Sorry, Sal... but there's another woman."

She laughed. "Goodnight, you two."

"Night." He replied, reaching down to give her a goodnight kiss. He stopped midway, suddenly looking back at Cindy. He put his hand over her eyes, and kissed Sally gently on the lips.

"Hey! I can't see anything!" Cindy cried, tugging at his hand.

He laughed, removing his hand from her face. She scowled, and crossed her little arms.

"Sorry Cinders. Okay, let's get you to bed."

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**Okay, end of chappy 1 for this. I swear, I've been writing more and more stories, and now I can't think of anything else for them! –cries- And sorry CarribeanCrazyGal! I know you wanted another Stronger Feelings chapter, but I swear, I'll get one up asap! It's the next thing I'll be workin on, k?**

**Ima try to write a chapter for every story out right now every chance I get. But I've sorta been swamped in homework, football games, chores, and all that crap. Plus, sometimes I get writers block too. Hehe… **

**Anyways, reviews anyone?**

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	2. Mr Tedders

"So you really think me and Sally should get married?" Lightning asked as he tucked Cindy in.

She nodded. "You said you was in love, right?"

"Well… yeah." Lightning replied, looking down. "But that doesn't mean we have to get married, right?"

She shrugged, making Lightning smile.

"Why am I asking a six year old for advice anyways?"

She smiled. "Because you love me."

He laughed, ruffling her hair before getting up and heading to the door.

"Wait Lightning!" Cindy called suddenly, making him turn around. "I brought something for you."

She jumped out of bed, and started digging through one of her bags. She pulled out an old teddy bear, and handed it to Lightning.

"It's Mr. Tedders!" Lightning said, staring at the stuffed toy in his hands. "Where'd you find him?"

"We found him when we were cleaning out your room. He was under your bed."

Lightning looked up, still holding the bear. "My room? When did you clean out my room?"

"A few weeks ago."

"Oh." Lightning replied, blinking down at the bear he was still holding. He felt something tight around his legs, and looked down to find Cindy hugging him the best she could.

"Don't be sad, Lightning. We still love you."

Lightning managed a smile, reaching down to pick her up. He kissed her lightly on the forehead, causing her to cringe.

"Eew, boy cooties!"

Lightning laughed, laying her down on the bed and tickling her. She broke out in a fit of giggles, trying to squirm out of his grasp. He finally stopped, letting her rest her head against the pillow. He threw the covers back over her, and got up to leave.

"Goodnight, Lightning." She called out.

"Night." He replied, quietly closing the door behind him. He smiled, then almost ran into Sally. They both let out a small, startled scream, Lightning quickly throwing the bear behind his back.

"Sally? What are you doing here?"

"You left your jacket." She replied, still trying to catch her breath. She handed it to him, noticing that he was trying to hide something.

"What's that behind your back?"

"What?" He asked, smiling sheepishly.

She pushed him aside, bending down to pick it up. "This."

"It's, um, It's… Cindy's! Yeah, that's it… it's Cindy's." He stammered, snatching it out of her hands.

Sally smirked, reaching out and grabbing the bear's foot. "Then why does it have 'Lightning' written on the foot?"

He looked down, letting out a small sigh, then looked back up at her. "Ok, ok, fine… I have a teddy bear. Happy?"

She put a hand over her mouth, trying to fight back her giggles.

Lightning rolled his eyes. "Yeah, ok… Go ahead. Laugh it up."

She shook her head, laughing a little. "It's not funny. It's cute."

He smiled, reaching down and kissing her lightly on the lips. He heard a creak at the door, and looked over to find Cindy peeking at them.

"Cindy, you're supposed to be asleep."

She stuck out her tongue, shutting the door behind her.

"She really is adorable." Sally said as they walked down the hall together.

Lightning nodded, slipping his hand into hers. "Hey, do you wanna go watch a movie at my place?"

Sally smiled, taking the bear from his hands. "Can the bear come?"

Lightning laughed. " 'the bear' has a name, you know."

"Oh really?" Sally asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Um, yeah, it's… Mr. Tedders." Lightning replied some-what embarrassedly.

Sally smirked. "Mr. Tedders the teddy bear? Couldn't think of anything better than that?"

"Hey," Lightning said defensively. "I was three, ok?"

Sally giggled, following him out the door.

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**Sorry this is a little bit shorter, and I changed one line in the first chapter, at the end, if you wnat to check that out. Working on Stronger Feelings now! **


	3. Skyler Loves Who?

Lightning and Sally walked outside into the cool night air, and started walking towards Lightning's cone, when Skyler ran up to them.

"Lightning, I got to… to… ask…" He said, panting rather heavily.

"Whoa, buddy, calm down. What's the problem?" Lightning asked, giving him a concerned look.

"I need some advice." Skyler said, finally able to catch his breath.

"What kind of advice?" Lightning asked.

Skyler looked over at Sally, then back at Lightning, then looked down some-what embarrassedly.

"Oh… That kind of advice." Lightning said, realizing what his brother wanted to talk about.

Skyler nodded, giving his brother an almost pleading look.

Lightning smiled, then turned to Sally.

"Sorry, Sal. Can I get a rain check on that movie date?"

Sally smiled. "Sure, Stickers. See you tomorrow." She gave him a goodnight kiss, then quietly walked away from them.

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"Ok, so let me guess… You really do like Lesley, and now you want to know how to ask her out." Lightning said, after they had settled down inside his apartment.

"Well, yeah. That's about it." Skyler replied, plopping down on the couch.

"I knew it! Ha, I'm always right." Lightning said teasingly.

Skyler threw a pillow at him, hitting him in the face. "Shut up. Now tell me how to ask her out."

Lightning laughed. "Alright, alright, fine. You just gotta be smooth. Ya know, be cool."

"Cool? I'm not cool?" Skyler asked.

"Well, yeah… But you gotta be real smooth, and sorta, you know, flirt."

Skyler nodded. "Is that how you asked Sally out?"

Lightning smiled sheepishly. "Well… Actually, she asked me out."

Skyler smirked. "And _why_ am I asking you for advice?"

Lightning laughed, and threw the pillow back at him.

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"So, what have you guys been up to since I moved out?" Lightning asked his mother the next day, as they were sitting around Flo's.

"Nothing much, sweetheart. It's been pretty much the same." She replied, flipping through an old magazine.

"Oh, cool." Lightning said, nodding. He looked over at Skyler. "So what have you been up to?"

His brother shrugged. "I dunno… Hanging out with kids from school, playing a few video games, jamming on my guitar…"

"Oh, so you still like singing?" He asked, noticing Sally walk through the door. He motioned for her to sit beside him.

"Yup." Skyler replied, just as Sally came and sat down.

"Then sing something."

"What?" Skyler looked up, meeting his brother's daring gaze.

Lightning smirked. "You heard me."

"Yeah Skyler, sing that song that you're always playing at home." Their mother put in.

Sally looked around questioningly, chuckling. "Did I miss something here?"

Lightning shook his head. "Nope, Skyler's just going to sing something for us."

Skyler sighed. "Ok, fine. If I sing something, will it shut you guys up?"

"Maybe."

"Fine." Skyler said, standing up. He took a deep intake of breath, and started to sing in a soft voice:

_I will never let you fall_

_I'll stand up with you forever_

_I'll be there for you through it all_

_Even if saving you sends me to Heaven_

He cut off, and sat back down. "Ok, happy now?"

"That was really good, Skyler." Sally said.

Ms. McQueen nodded. "I know, he's getting really good."

Lightning looked down at his drink, shrugging. "It was ok, I guess."

He smiled teasingly, showing that he was only kidding. Skyler smirked, and punched his arm. Lightning looked up, noticing Lesley looking over towards them from across the room.

"Hey, there's your _girlfriend_." He said, pointing over towards her.

Skyler blushed, looking away from her. "She's not my girlfriend."

"Not yet. Why don't you ask her out?"

He looked over at her, sighing softly. "It's not as easy as it looks."

Lightning laughed. "Please… It's _way_ too easy."

Skyler rolled his eyes, standing up. "And that's coming from the guy who's girlfriend asked _him_ out." And with that, he walked over towards Lesley's table, leaving Lightning gawking at him.

He walked deliberately slow, trying to come up with what he was going to say. He came up beside her table, just standing there for a second.

"Um, hi." He greeted, smiling nervously.

She looked up. "Hi."

"Whatcha doin'?" He asked.

"Sitting here." She replied with a small laugh.

"Cool." He said, looking at the floor.

She smiled. "Any reason why you're talking to me?"

He laughing nervously. "Uh, um, yeah… I just wanted to tell you… I like you-you… your shoes! I like your shoes."

"Oh, um, thanks. I heard you singing. It was really good." She said, standing up.

"Yeah…" He said, shuffling his foot on the floor. He looked up, realizing that she had given him a compliment. "Yeah?"

"Mmhmm." She nodded. "I like singing too. I just wish my voice was as good as yours."

He laughed. "So, how bout I give you some pointers sometime? Well, not saying you _need_ them…"

She smirked, crossing her arms. "Are you asking me out?"

He smiled sheepishly, putting his hands in his pockets. "Maybe."

She smiled, picking up her purse and taking out a pen. She grabbed a napkin, and wrote her number on it.

She handed it to him, smiling softly. "Pick me up around 8 on Friday. We can catch a movie."

He looked down at the napkin, then back at her, smiling widely. "Yeah, ok, sure. Looking forward to it."

She laughed lightly, then picked up her stuff. "Call me." She said, walking slowly past him, and out the door.

Skyler watched her go, then walked back over to his table.

"Piece of cake." He said, shoving the napkin at his brother, and watching as he scowled.

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**Lol, ok, this is shorter than intended, but I need to get all these ideas out of my head, so I can think of some for my other stories. BTW, I'm halfway through the next chapter of Stronger Feelings. -claps-**

**I'm REALLY busy, so thanks for all the people who are reading this! (I have 105 hits) Yay!!! Know what makes me even happier? REVIEWS!!! **


	4. Movie Date and Somebody Has Issues

Lesley watched as Skyler approached their door, watching every step he took. She opened the door after the first knock, and walked out into the dark, star-scattered night.

"So, are you ready to go?" Skyler asked her.

She nodded, and followed him to the car. She saw Sally's light blue Porsche a ways away from them, and realized that they were getting a ride with Lightning and Sally.

_Phew. That's better than his parents, I guess. _She thought as she climbed into the back seat.

"Hey Lesley, how are you?" Sally asked from the passenger seat.

"Good, thanks for the ride." She replied.

"No prob." Lightning said, starting the car. He revved the engine a few times, smiling as the whole car vibrated.

"Calm down, Stickers. It isn't race day yet." Sally said teasingly.

Lightning chuckled. "Sorry." He pulled away from the curb, and started to drive away.

"So… What movie are we seeing?" Lesley asked.

Skyler shrugged. "I dunno, you're the one who said go to the movies."

"That doesn't mean I have to pick it out." She shot back, giving him a flirty smile.

He smiled sheepishly, turning his attention to the blurs of buildings going past his window.

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As they walked out of the car and into the chilliness of the night air, Lesley shivered.

"Maybe I should have brought a jacket." She muttered, just loud enough for Skyler to overhear.

"Here," He said, handing her his jacket. "You can borrow mine if you want."

She smiled. "Thanks."

The theater was dark and noisy, most people talking than watching it.

"What's the name of this thing anyways?" Skyler asked dully.

Lesley shrugged. "I have no idea, but it has got to be the most boring thing I have ever seen."

Skyler nodded, and stretched his arms, resting one above Lesley's head.

------------------------------------------------

"Aw, look! He just put his arm around her!" Sally said, smiling cutely a few rows down at Skyler and Lesley.

Lightning yawned. "Mmmhmm….."

"Aren't they just the cutest? Aw! I just want to hug them!"

Lightning sighed, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, ok…. Whatever."

Sally noticed his agitated tone, and turned to look at him. "What's wrong with you?"

"You're spending more time watching them than being with me."

She smirked. "Aw, you're jealous."

"Yeah, sure." He looked down, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I just thought you liked me more than them. Go figure."

"I'm sorry." She giggled. "Let me make it up to you." She pressed her lips against his, feeling him soften quickly. She pulled away, smiling in amusement when she saw the dreamy expression on his face.

"All better?"

He looked over, smiling sarcastically. "No… I'm still mad."

"Well, let's try to fix that." Sally replied, inching closer to him.

He moved closer for another kiss, and felt himself start to get lost in it.

--------------------------------------------

Lesley yawned, looking over at Skyler, who was watching something from behind them, consuming his popcorn with interest. She turned to see what he was looking at, and immediately went red. It was Lightning and Sally. Making out.

"Quit staring at them!" She said, pushing him playfully.

He laughed, a humorous smile growing on his lips. "Well, there's nothing better to do. This movie sucks."

"I agree," She said, nodding.

He yawned. "I would pretty much rather go to—" He cut off when Lesley rested her head sleepily on his shoulder.

"Sleep." He finished quietly. He looked around helplessly, then realized that maybe, he didn't want to move. He sighed, as he felt his own eyes drift shut, and fell into a peaceful sleep.

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_There was wheat EVERYWHERE. Skyler looked around to find that he was stranded in a wide field, wheat stretching as far as her could see._

_"Skyler…"_

_He turned to find Lesley skipping towards him, wearing a short, white sundress. She laughed, repeating his name. "Skyler…"_

_He smiled widely, breaking into a sprint towards her. He ran up to her and lifted her up, finding her surprisingly light. They fell to the ground, laughing. He looked over at her, smiling. She did the same, saying his name again. "Skyler…. Skyler…."_

"SKYLER!!!"

Skyler and Lesley jumped awake, screaming their heads off. Lightning jumped back, surprised.

"It's about time you two woke up." He said, smiling bemusedly.

Lesley rubbed her eyes. "Did I fall asleep? I'm sorry."

Skyler yawned. "It's okay, there was nothing better to do… Except maybe make out. The _whole time_."

He saw Sally blush, and Lightning rolled his eyes.

"Shut up. You wouldn't understand."

He cocked a brow. "Oh, I wouldn't, would I?"

"No, now come on. I promised mom I'd have you guys back to the café by 10." Lightning said.

Skyler rolled his eyes, motioning for Lesley to go in front of him. Surprisingly, she took his hand instead. Feeling his heart rate speed up, he followed her out of the theater.

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They arrived at Flo's thirty minutes later, sitting around and talking until time to go home.

"Stickers?" Sally asked from across the table.

"Hmm?" He replied, taking a sip from his coke.

"Do you ever think about the future?"

He sat down his drink, giving her a quizzical look. "Well… Yeah, sometimes."

"What do you see?" She asked.

He looked down, smiling slyly. "You."

She smiled. "Does that mean that you want to get married eventually?"

"I guess……"

"You guess?" She asked.

Lesley and Skyler exchanged glances, and moved to a different table. Lightning watched them go, trying to think of something to say.

"Well, I mean, yeah… I do. But, well… What brought this up, anyways?"

She laughed. "Nothing… I was thinking about how much I love you, and ever since Cindy brought it up, I can't get it out of my head. I mean, what's keeping us back?"

"I don't know." He said, glancing over at the table where his mother was sitting all alone, reading a book.

She frowned slightly. "Well, you said you wanting to, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Then what's holding us back?"

Lightning suddenly stood up, knocking his chair back. "Why are you asking so many questions anyways?"

"I just wanted to talk about it." Sally said, looking alarmed.

"Well, I don't." He snapped, suddenly aware of how quiet it had gotten. He turned around, and stormed out the door.

Sally stared confusedly at the door, rooted to the spot, watching as he walked away.

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**Okaaaay…. Unexpected turn there. :P I need to start working on one of my other stories, but forgive me for the delays, I've been having writer's block, plus I can't seem to find enough time in the day for all this crap. ANYWAYS…. Yeah. Anyone wanna give me a review? I appreciate them! **


	5. Making Plans

The night sky was dark indigo, dotted with multiple shining stars. A distant roar tore through the silence, growing louder as it approached the butte. It was deserted, except for one lone figure who sat on a low rock formation.

Lightning just sat there, continuing to stare up at the sky, aware that a car had pulled up somewhere behind him. He still didn't look down when he heard a car door slam, and footsteps approach him.

"Stickers?"

He looked down to find Sally standing in front of him, concern mixed with hurt etched in her face.

She sat down beside him. "Why did you just do that?"

He shrugged, remaining silent.

Understanding that he wasn't going to say anything, she spoke. "Lightning, there's something bothering you. I can tell. What's wrong?"

He sighed softly. "You really want to know?"

She nodded, taking her hand into his.

"I'm scared," He said quietly, feeling her grip tighten a little. "I'm scared that… that our marriage will end up like my parents."

"Your parents?" Sally inquired. "What _did_ happen to your dad?"

Lightning scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "They're divorced. They have been ever since I was sixteen."

"Oh…" Sally said, noticing the troubled expression on his face. She put her arms around him, in a tight embrace, making him look over at her.

"Don't worry, Stickers. Some couples just don't work out… But me and you, we were made for each other. And I will never stop loving you."

He smiled softly. "Promise?"

She smiled. "Promise."

"I still don't think we should get married right now."

She took his hand again. "But in time?"

He laughed lightly. "Definitely."

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Skyler was talking to Lesley about a song he had written, when Lightning and Sally walked through the door, hand-in-hand.

"You two good?" Sheriff asked from across the room.

Sally smiled. "It's okay. Just a little problem, but everything's fine now."

Lightning nodded. "Sorry guys, looks like there's not going to be a wedding anytime soon."

Multiple groans could be heard.

"But you two are so cute together!" Flo cried.

Lightning shrugged. "I guess we're not ready."

They nodded understandingly, turning their attention back to what it was on previously. Lightning and Sally went back to sit at their table, and everything was fine.

For now.

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"Attention everyone! Attention!" Flo called out the next morning, getting ignored by everyone.

"HEY!" She yelled, causing everyone to jump and stare at her. She cleared her throat. "I just wanted to let everyone know about our annual karaoke-contest. It's fun, and a good chance to show everyone what you can do. It costs 5 dollars to audition, and all money goes to fixing up the town. Plus—if you win, you get this trophy!" She pulled out a large metallic cup, getting a lot of "ooohs" and "aaahs" from people. "It's going to be all this next week, so audition people!"

"You should enter it," Lesley said to Skyler. "You'd win for sure."

He could feel his face growing warmer. "Um, I don't know…"

"Aw, come on!" She pleaded. "What if I audition too? Then will you enter?"

He pretended to be thinking hard, when his insides were screaming _Yes! _

"Mmmm… Okay. How about we do it as partners?"

She had a thoughtful look on her face. "How about," She said, her smile turning playful. "We sing with Lightning and Sally. You know, you with Lightning, me with Sally."

He cocked a brow. "Where is this going?"

Her smile grew wider. "How about we make this a bet? Girls against boys?"

He shook his head. "Good luck getting Lightning up on stage. He might be used to people staring at him, but when it comes to singing, he has chronic stage fright."

"Leave him to me." She said, smiling slyly.

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**Okay, this was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too short. -.-;; Forgive me for all this retarded-ness! 3**


	6. Auditions

"Hey, auditions are today." Lesley said knowingly, as she walked up beside Skyler the next day.

He stopped. "Yeah. Did you talk to Lightning?"

"Why would I do that?"

He gave her a questioning look. "Because… you wanted to know if he could sing with me. Remember?"

She nodded. "Yeah, but I never said I was going to ask him."

She walked ahead of him, leaving him to stare at her.

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"Ok Lesley, you're up."

Lesley nodded at Flo, and made her way up to the stage. She started singing in the most beautiful voice Skyler had ever heard. She got done, and made her way off-stage.

"Wow…" Skyler said quietly. "You never told me you were that good."

She smiled. "You never asked."

Sally had already sung, and a few others before her too. Even Cindy had sung _Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star_. Now it was Skyler's turn. He grabbed his guitar, and walked up on stage.

He started playing a soft tune, until it grew louder, and louder. He kept the steady beat for a few measures, then started to sing in a soft voice.

_You'll have your ups and downs  
Don't let them push you out  
Cause time is all you've got now_

Go make the best of everything you want to be  
With ambition pushing forward  
Your dreams upon your shoulders

Though impossible it seems  
It's time to just believe  
From here on out you're just getting older  
Pick up yourself you keep getting closer

Let's just get it started tonight  
All you've ever wanted its in your eyes  
Just let it take you where you want to go  
Just let it tell you what you want to know

Lesley watched him sing, and could tell he was in his element. He sang as if he had been doing it for his whole life. He finished it with a long note on the guitar, and looked over at her, giving her that smile that always made her heart skip a beat.

She clapped along with everyone else, then leaned over the table to where Sally was sitting beside her.

"You know, I wonder if _all_ the McQueens can sing. Or, maybe Lightning's an exception."

Sally's lips curved into a sly smiled, as she turned to her boyfriend. "You know, I bet singing does run in the family."

Lightning looked up, just realizing what she was talking about. "What? No, no… I can't, I'm sure it doesn't…"

"Well, let's find out." And with that, she grabbed his hand, and lead him up on stage.

"Sally, please! I can't…" He snatched his hand away from her, looking annoyed.

She smirked. "Aw, come on, Stickers. Just give it a shot, for me?" She stuck out her bottom lip in an exaggerated pout, making him smile a little.

"Sally, don't look at me like that."

She poked her lip out even farther, giving him a pleading look.

He sighed. "But… But, I don't know a song! So there, I can't sing."

Skyler perked up, looking over at Lesley. She gave him a look that clearly said, "do something!" He nodded, and smiled.

"What about that song you were always singing in the shower?"

Lightning's face turned red. "What? I never sang in the shower!"

Skyler smirked. "Sure, but what was that song you always listened to? You know the words to it, right?"

"Well, yeah, but…"

"Well, there you go! Let's do that one." Skyler said, sitting down his guitar. He went up to the front of the stage, overlooking the audience.

"Ok, let's get a show of who all wants Lightning to sing."

Over half the room raised their hands, and Lightning let a small groan.

"Looks like you're outnumbered, Bro." Skyler said. He turned back to the audience. "Ok, so I need you guys to do me a favor, if we're gonna do this."

Everyone nodded, murmurs of agreement rippling from the crowd.

"Ok, now do as I do." Skyler said. He clapped a beat, keeping a steady rhythm with each clap. The crowd followed him, and soon the room was echoing with peoples' claps.

Skyler grabbed his guitar, and busted out with a rhythm to match the beat. He gave Lightning a reassuring smile, who now looked absolutely petrified.

Lightning just stood there, blinking out at the crowd. He gulped, then grabbed the microphone in front of him. It let out a squeal, and he quickly let go, the noise causing some of the people to stop clapping. He backed away from it.

"Baby! BAWK BAWK BAWK!" Mater suddenly yelled, smiling teasingly.

Lightning frowned. He did NOT like being called a baby. Or being "bawked" at. He grabbed the microphone again—this time more carefully—and told everyone to keep up the beat. After a few measures, he started singing.

_I know you  
so better than the city in the rear view  
I drive to  
eliminate the ball that I'm chained to_

_Take me break me  
every mile further there's a part of me that slips away  
One day you'll see  
Even if you got down on your knees you couldn't make me stay_

_Drive all night  
Never gonna get me  
Night by night  
To get away from it all  
Fight fight fight  
All you wanna do is hurt me  
You wrecked my life  
So I'm gonna have to drive all night_

Sally was actually surprised. She didn't know that he could sing _that_ well. It was as if he had never had stage fright before. He just kept on singing.

_I'll stay strong  
I'm pushing on the pedal till I break dawn  
So I'm gone, go find another shoulder you can cry on_

Take me break me  
every mile further there's a part of me that slips away  
One day you'll see  
Even if you got down on your knees you couldn't make me stay

Pretty soon, Lightning had forgotten all about his stage fright. He just kept up with the beat, a little surprised that he could still remember all the lyrics.

_Drive all night  
Never gonna get me  
Night by night  
To get away from it all  
Fight fight fight  
All you wanna do is hurt me  
You wrecked my life  
So I'm gonna have to drive all night  
You wrecked my life  
So I'm gonna have to drive all night  
You wrecked my life  
So I'm gonna have to drive all night_

All of the things that you knew that I'd try  
All of the things that I held inside  
All I gotta do is drive

Drive all night  
Never gonna get me  
Night by night  
To get away from it all  
Fight fight fight  
All you wanna do is hurt me  
You wrecked my life  
So I'm gonna have to drive all night  
You wrecked my life  
So I'm gonna have to drive all night  
You wrecked my life  
So I'm gonna have to drive all night  
You wrecked my life  
So I'm gonna have to drive all night  
you wrecked my life  
so I'm gonna have to drive all night

He finished, just to get stared at by everyone. They all burst into applause, still in awe. Lightning turned to his brother, who merely just blinked at him.

"Either you've gotten better, or something happened to your voice." He said, shaking his head in disbelief.

Lightning shrugged. "I honestly didn't know I could sing."

"Congrats, Lightning! I think you have a definite chance of winning." Flo said suddenly, winking at him.

"Winning? Does she think I'm in the contest?" Lightning asked as she walked away.

"Well… You are pretty good."

Lightning shook his head. "But this was like a one-time deal. It'll probably never happen again."

"You know, me and Lesley were actually hoping… Well, that you and Sally would sing with us."

Lightning looked over at him, cocking a brow. "Is that how this started then?"

"Sort of." Skyler admitted. "But look, I swear, I just did it for Lesley. She really wants me and you to sing together… for some odd reason."

Lightning smiled. "Oh, so this is for Lesley? Why didn't you say so? Of course I'll help my little brother score."

Skyler rolled his eyes, but smiled still. "Gee, thanks."

"So why does she want us to sing together?"

Skyler shook his head. "She wants it to be boys against girls, and like, bet against one another I think. She said it'd be fun."

"Whoopee…" Lightning said sarcastically, laughing.

"Shut up, dude." Skyler said, laughing at him.

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**RETARDEDNESS! Lol. Songs are, We've Only Just Begun- Run Kid Run and (of course!) Night Drive- All American Rejects. Is it just me, or does Tyson (lead singer of AAR) sound a little like what Lightning might sound like if he sings? Iono, me and my sister think so. Lol. I honestly hate this chapter, but still. It had to happen. Reviews anyone?**


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